Unemployment rate edges up to 9.1 percent

This chart shows total nonfarm payrolls from 2000 through last month. Friday's jobs report for May shows that the number of jobs is 1.61 percent higher than a year ago, but still about 6 percent lower than the peak in late 2007.

SoldAtTheTop

View Caption

Today’s Employment Situation Report showed that in May, net nonfarm payrolls increased only slightly rising just 54,000 from April while private nonfarm payrolls added a just 83,000 and the unemployment rate edged up to 9.1% over the same period.

Net private sector jobs increased just 0.08% since last month climbing 1.61% above the level seen a year ago but but remained a whopping 5.79% below the peak level of employment seen in December 2007.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link above.